Singapore Idol: The Lowdown

Article originally submitted for print in local daily Aug 24th.

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Singapore Idol: The Lowdown

Singapore Idol is in full swing and in a couple of months, the Singapore Indoor Stadium will roar, fingers and thumbs will frantically bang on phones and another winner will be announced. But if the first season deserved brickbats, the second season has enough ammunition for criticism.

This season's crop has been widely criticized to be lower in standard, even as the marketing of the show has obviously gone on overdrive. You cannot escape the campaigns. From corporate sponsorships to the endless trailers to the mall appearances, everything seems targeted to either increasing visibility and/or revenue.

The voting system for example is designed to make money. Each sms means viewers have to fork out sixty cents. For those getting something out of that pie, more votes equal more mulah.

This seems to have given Singapore Idol the license to break away from some of the visual format of its American predecessor. Graphics featuring contestant names, assigned codes and dial in numbers are fixed throughout the contestant's performance. When this information takes up about one third of the viewable screen, it is almost as if seeing the contestant perform is not as important as seeing the numbers. The logic for having the display during performances isn't clear, especially since the telephone lines are not open until the end of the show, something host Gurmit Singh keeps stressing. But it can be inferred that someone is hoping that with constant reminders, viewers will be compelled to call. But for what real reason?

Television shows that come on after the Spectaculars also suffer the intrusion of graphics at the top right hand corner of the television screen. You cannot miss the faces with the numbers that flash and flash and flash. They are big, they are not translucent and they are meant to draw your eye away from the current program being shown. That may be fine to diehard SI fans. I, on the other hand, would prefer to see Heidi Klum's face in its beautiful entirety, and not have it blocked by Joakim Gomez.

The intrusion of graphics is not something that would appear in the US version. American Idol is a lucrative long term franchise, and clean useable archives of performances are important, especially when the winners are slated to become bankable artistes. It also appears that in the US, there is great respect for the television director's shots. Which fan can forget last season's Katherine McPhee's rendition of Queen's 'Who wants to live forever'? The opening shot of the outline of her full back, silhouetted by a single overhead spotlight was simply inspiring. So much so that Simon Cowell commented she had to thank the lighting and studio director for making her look so good. Now, imagine that shot covered with graphics on the lower third space of the screen? Sacrilege.

Are there any performances, past and current season of Singapore Idol that anyone can recall simply because the visuals and performance were in perfect harmony? I doubt so. And with the call to action graphics, it seems to indicate that the aesthetics of the entire program is not a priority.

It also appears that the image of the contestants is once again not a focal point. If the contestants and the producers of the show think that the music industry is just about the voice alone, they clearly do not understand it. Image, aesthetics, like-ability together with vocal chops are all equal currencies in the shaping of a singing star in today's world. I only need to mention Clay Aiken during the course of his competition and even up to recent times, when his new hair color and image resulted in more positive press to prove one thing: Image does matter. And transformations from your average Joe to what is supposed to be a star at the finals matter. The stylists for Singapore Idol seem to think that having coloured hair extensions for EVERYONE and putting them in brand name clothes is transformation enough. Tragic.

The concept of discovering and moulding a future bankable star seems lost in the haze of all the marketing. So does talent really matter? I would submit that perhaps this year's batch is equal to that of the first season, what with all the similarities. Joakim Gomez is 2006's version of Jerry Ong (remember the guy that smiled all through the public backlashing of his croaking?). How about Jasmine Tye and 2004's Daphne Khoo, who might as well be twins tied together by their sweet girly girl and naughty undertones appeal. Does anyone see the similarities between the shocking departure of Mathilda D'Silva and that of first season's Jeassea Thyidor. Both clearly talented, both clearly lacking the fan base. And finally, Hady Mirza...the man even judge Florence Lian joked to be another Taufik. But that's a good thing...

So both batches are equal in qualities, and perhaps even by the standards of talent. But are the contestants truly the best the nation has to offer? Is it believable that people like Joakim and Jerry were chosen because they really were some of the top undiscovered talents in Singapore? Or is this just manipulation on the part of the show's producers to generate controversy and of course the resulting viewership? After all, conflict creates great television. Clearly it is not something anyone would be willing to admit. But it IS completely unbelievable that an industry veteran like Dick Lee would sanction their selection, since it would clearly put his own credibility into question.

A singing competition it may be, a television show it is, and the character mix can tip the ratings and profit scales. However, while it is great to have a profitable show, credibility is key to the concept and overall success of the show. The credibility of the show actually lies on how big the winner will eventually be and this fuels the fire for future seasons. Obviously, American Idol understands that, judging by the resultant number ones and album sales figures that are religiously documented and revealed by the show's producers.

Does Singapore Idol generate enough credibility among viewers? Does it really provide the framework for the development of an artiste that is truly international in standard? Does it deserve to go the distance into its third, fourth and even sixth season like American Idol?

You vote. You decide.